Second Street Gallery is pleased to announce Affirmations, an exhibition of new work by Richmond artist Theodora Miller, held in the Dové Gallery from February 5 – 27, 2021.

In this body of work, Miller reflects on her various losses and triumphs in 2020 through meditative mark making. She draws strength from her Greek ancestors who stayed true to their culture while enduring war, civil unrest, poverty, and natural disasters, and has developed a visual language inspired by ancient Hellenic symbols in their honor. The bold, saturated colors and emotive brushstrokes in Affirmations manifest hope and courage for the year ahead.

Miller’s studio practice is exploratory in nature, combining layers of acrylic paint and paint chips with other media like ink, gouache, pencil, pastels, and collage. She begins each piece with gestural brushstrokes and then follows her intuition to add or remove details, building up textural surfaces that add dimension to each composition. Miller’s calligraphic designs are an authentic expression of her Greek identity, merging memory, emotion, and history into visual statements that are uniquely her own.

Theodora Miller is a self-taught artist based in Richmond, VA. After a mild traumatic injury (mTBI) forced her into complete isolation and cognitive rest, she began painting as part of her healing process. She has since built a signature style and thriving practice, and says that “art is a safe place for me to take risks and explore, always learning and evolving acting on impulsive ideas balanced by time for contemplation”. Her work is included in a number of private and corporate collections.